Business of Law

February 06, 2025
BCLP Expands To Saudi Arabia With 2 New Offices

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP plans to open two offices in Saudi Arabia, pushing to work on infrastructure projects and other industries in the Middle Eastern country with two attorneys previously with KSA USA Legal, the firm announced Thursday.
February 06, 2025
Judge Questions Firm's Candor In Apple, Amazon Docs Row

A Washington federal judge said on Thursday there was "troubling shifting" around Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP's explanation of texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a proposed class action targeting Amazon and Apple, while also saying it might not matter because the firm found substitute plaintiffs.
February 06, 2025
DOJ To Weigh Criminal Action Against Cos. With DEI Policies

The U.S. Department of Justice will consider bringing criminal and civil investigations against companies over their diversity, equity and inclusion policies, according to a new memorandum from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
February 06, 2025
Girardi's Mental Evaluation At NC Prison Extended By 15 Days

A California federal judge Thursday ordered Tom Girardi's psychiatric evaluation at a North Carolina federal prison to be extended by 15 days, and she also lectured Girardi's public defender while saying she "could not have imagined" why it took 17 days to get his client's medical records sent to the facility.
February 06, 2025
Jay-Z Gets Nod To Withdraw Sanctions Bid Against Buzbee

Rapper Jay-Z has dropped his sanctions bid against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee for filing a lawsuit that claims Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs raped a 13-year-old more than 20 years ago, accusations he has called "knowingly false."
February 06, 2025
Carr Names Project 2025 Co-Author As FCC General Counsel

A Michigan State University law professor and onetime Jones Day litigator known for his involvement in Project 2025 and criticism of Big Tech will serve as the Federal Communications Commission's top lawyer.
February 05, 2025
Jenner & Block Atty Leaves To Advise House Judiciary Dems

A Jenner & Block LLP partner with experience in matters involving government controversies, public policy litigation and congressional investigations announced Wednesday that he is leaving the firm to serve as a special counsel and senior adviser to the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee.
February 05, 2025
PTAB Judges Ordered Back To The Office, Sparking Outcry

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's roughly 230 administrative law judges dedicated to patent disputes and appeals must start working from an office, according to a directive implementing President Donald Trump's return-to-office order that former board judges said Wednesday threatens to destabilize a largely remote workforce and risks mass resignations and retirements.
February 05, 2025
How To Get On A Judge's Good Side? Calif. Jurists Offer Tips

Four Northern California federal judges gave attorneys a dose of straight talk during a Federal Bar Association panel discussion Tuesday, urging them to pay close attention to standing orders, to consider whether a motion is truly productive, and to steer clear of humor and hyperbole in their briefs.
February 05, 2025
GOP Sens.' Bill Ups Penalty For Protesting Justices' Homes

Five Republican senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that would increase maximum prison sentences for individuals who illegally protest outside the homes of U.S. Supreme Court justices, from the current one-year limit up to five years.
February 05, 2025
Nixon Peabody Taps Ex-Faegre Drinker Environmental Atty

Nixon Peabody LLP hired a former Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP environmental attorney for the firm's New York City office.
February 05, 2025
Texas Bar Says Lawyers Can't Partner With Non-Attorneys

A new ethics opinion from the State Bar of Texas says lawyers practicing in the Lone Star State cannot partner with law firms offering legal services in other jurisdictions if the partnership includes a non-lawyer, even if such arrangements are permitted in the jurisdiction where the law firm is based.
February 05, 2025
Girardi Keese Trustee Sues NY Atty Who Funded Girardi

The bankruptcy trustee for disgraced California attorney Tom Girardi's defunct law firm is suing to prevent New York attorney Joseph DiNardo from discharging $7.5 million in his own bankruptcy, claiming DiNardo received the money by helping Girardi defraud his own clients.
February 05, 2025
Goldstein, Saying He's Mired In Debt, Asks To Redo Bail Terms

Prominent U.S. Supreme Court attorney and SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein has a negative net worth of more than $3.3 million and is mired in debt to his attorneys, he said in a filing Wednesday seeking to modify the conditions of his release ahead of a trial on federal criminal tax evasion charges.
February 05, 2025
As Adams Case Teeters, A DOJ 'Ideal' Hangs In The Balance

The public courtship between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump is worrying some white collar legal experts, who say that Trump influencing the U.S. Department of Justice to drop Adams' corruption case would depart from over 40 years of policies aimed at keeping politics out of prosecutorial decisions.
February 05, 2025
Ex-Ambassador To Hungary Returns To Jenner's NY Team

After serving as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman is returning to Jenner & Block LLP as a partner, a firm where he helped co-found the national security and crisis practice as well as the human rights and global strategy practice, the firm announced Monday.
February 05, 2025
HSF Posts $6.3M US Loss As Kramer Levin Merger Looms

The U.S. operations of Herbert Smith Freehills made a loss of more than $6 million in the last financial year, accounts have revealed, as the firm's partners are set to cast their vote on a transatlantic merger with Kramer Levin this month.
February 04, 2025
Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

February is off to a rip-roaring start in several circuits, and there's plenty more action ahead, including a moment of truth for judiciary policymaking that has managed to anger both the defense and plaintiffs bars. We'll explore all that in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing, which also includes an appellate quiz pegged to recent presidential news.
February 04, 2025
Trump Picks AG Paxton Atty For Homeland Security Dept.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's special counsel, who is also a former member of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, has been tapped for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Paxton announced Tuesday.
February 04, 2025
Trump Selects McKinsey CLO For Commerce Department GC

President Donald Trump on Monday nominated McKinsey & Co.'s Chief Legal Officer Pierre Gentin to serve as the next general counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to congressional records.
February 04, 2025
Senate Confirms Pam Bondi To Be AG

The U.S. Senate voted 54-46 on Tuesday to confirm Pam Bondi to be attorney general.
February 04, 2025
DOJ Criminal Division Leader Joins White & Case's DC Shop

White & Case LLP announced on Tuesday it was growing its white collar team with the addition of partner Brent Wible, who told Law360 Pulse that it was time for him to step back into private practice following a five-year stint with the U.S. Department of Justice.
February 04, 2025
Haynes Boone Adds 7-Atty Seward & Kissel Team In NY

Haynes Boone has grown its fund finance and securitization practices with the addition of seven attorneys from Seward & Kissel LLP, including the head of the firm's asset securitization and CLO practice group.
February 04, 2025
Former Conn. US Attorney Returns To McCarter & English

Vanessa Roberts Avery, who recently stepped down as U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, has returned to her roots as a business litigator at McCarter & English LLP in Hartford, Connecticut.
February 04, 2025
'Is This A Joke?' Judge Denies Atty Fees For Grocery Patrons

A California federal judge had so little tolerance for shoppers claiming victory and seeking attorney fees from the abandoned Kroger-Albertsons merger that in tossing their motion and underlying lawsuit he noted with incredulity, "Plaintiffs are actually making these arguments."

Expert Analysis

2024 Pointers On Persuading Jurors

In a year where nuclear verdicts continued to proliferate, Law360 guest commentary focused on how trial attorneys can better select and connect with jurors, offering strategies for identifying anti-corporate sentiments and tactics to land one’s closing argument.
Associate Issues In The 2024 Spotlight

Law360 guest writers provided insights on a range of issues affecting associates this year, from the challenges of training new lawyers in the era of artificial intelligence, to nonfinancial factors that junior attorneys should consider before accepting a job offer.
Cybersecurity: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

From the CrowdStrike failure to the plethora of new and sometimes tricky regulatory requirements, to early decisions interpreting cyberinsurance coverage, guest authors broke down the implications of the biggest cybersecurity developments this year.
AI Questions: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

As the legal discourse surrounding artificial intelligence shifted from theoretical to concrete this year, guest commentary focused on the proliferation of new AI-related litigation, enforcement actions and best practices, while tracking the judiciary’s experimentation with generative AI.
ESG And DEI: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

In their commentary on ESG and DEI topics this year, Law360 guest authors discussed Project 2025’s potential impact, the rise of greenwashing litigation, strategies for fostering employee retention amid a shaky regulatory landscape, and more.
Election Impact: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Donald Trump's election win initiated a deluge of predictions for the incoming administration, with Law360 guest writers covering key policy areas such as immigration, tax, energy, labor and competition, plus potential congressional themes and investigations.
Noncompetes: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Employee noncompete issues took center stage this year, as Law360 guest writers covered everything from state-level enforceability trends and alternative methods for protecting business interests, to a National Labor Relations Board ruling and the Federal Trade Commission’s attempted ban.
The Most-Read IP Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Double-patenting was one of the top intellectual property topics tackled in Law360’s Expert Analysis section this year, along with the intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence, case distribution in the Western District of Texas, and more.
The Most-Read Access To Justice Guest Articles Of 2024

Law360 guest commentary addressed several emerging access to justice issues this year, including growing case backlogs, a dearth of legal services in rural communities and amendments to long-standing sentencing policies.
The Most-Read Employment Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Readers were drawn to employment law commentary on a range of 2024 developments, including the U.S. Supreme Court's Title VII ruling, impactful activity from the National Labor Relations Board, and state legislation targeting employee noncompete agreements.
The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

This year, popular securities guest article topics included controversial Delaware court decisions and their legislative aftermath, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s focus on emerging industries amid struggles to implement its rulemaking agenda.
The Most-Read Law360 UK Guest Articles Of 2024

The start of a generational shift in U.K. employment law under Labour, a ruling on artificial intelligence-driven credit scores and strategic law firm expansion were among the hot topics U.K. Expert Analysis articles explored this year.
Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
2024's Most Notable FTC Actions Against Dark Patterns And AI

In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission ramped up enforcement actions related to dark patterns, loudly signaling its concern that advertisers will use AI to manipulate consumer habits and its intention to curb businesses' use and marketing of AI to prevent alleged consumer deception, say attorneys at Goodwin.